Horse-theft case heats up
Police at Keetmanshoop on Tuesday night foiled an attempt to illegally remove the surviving horses from a municipal plot which is the subject of an investigation into horse theft and animal cruelty.
JANA-MARI SMITH
Keetmanshoop police are seeking to question farmer and livestock speculator Ruben Koortzen Junior after a truck transporting 23 horses that are evidence in a stock-theft investigation was intercepted on Tuesday night.
By yesterday afternoon, the police said they had interviewed, but not yet charged, one of Koortzen’s employees, Aits Losper, who allegedly had been following the truck when it was stopped by the police.
The police said the horses, and five donkeys, were being transported to a farm leased by the Koortzen family.
The horses were illegally removed from a council plot that is the focus of an investigation into horse theft and animal cruelty.
The investigation was opened last week after two horses died, allegedly of thirst, in a locked kraal on the council plot, which is sublet to the Koortzens by a municipal employee, Nimrod Zwartz.
Over the weekend, a Berseba farmer identified at least nine of the horses as having been stolen from him.
The police say the remaining horses were illegally loaded onto a rented truck. The police were informed that they were being taken to a farm leased by the Koortzens
Investigators could not question Koortzen Junior yesterday, as he was visiting relatives in Upington, South Africa.
“But he will be questioned,” a senior police officer confirmed.
Koortzen earlier denied any knowledge of the horses.
Deputy Commissioner Chrispin Mubebo yesterday appealed to the public to help identify the legal owners of the horses, which are being kept at a safe place while the investigation continues.
Mubebo also warned that anyone attempting to interfere with the investigation in any way, or trying to intimidate potential witnesses, would be dealt with to the full extent of the law.
“We will take action immediately,” Mubebo warned.
Mubebo said several leads were being followed.
Leon Smith, who buys horses and resells them, told Namibian Sun yesterday that he had bought live horses from Koortzen on occasion.
He said the last time was a few months ago.
Smith confirmed that he had in turn sold these horses to an animal sanctuary where they are killed for carnivore feed.
Losper yesterday posted a lewd message, daring anyone to question him, in a comment on the Windhoek SPCA Facebook page.
He had also posted comments this week on the same page, all relating to the horse investigation.
Koortzen Junior was arrested last year along with two others, Jaco Hanekom and Cornelius de Bruyn, on charges of attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. They allegedly attacked and tortured a 14-year-old boy on the farm Rooikoppe, which was being leased by Koortzen Senior.
It was alleged that the boy was beaten, over several hours, with pipes and fists before he was strung up with a rope around his neck attached to a roof beam.
Namibian Sun was informed that the case was struck from the court roll earlier this year after the docket had vanished.
Keetmanshoop police are seeking to question farmer and livestock speculator Ruben Koortzen Junior after a truck transporting 23 horses that are evidence in a stock-theft investigation was intercepted on Tuesday night.
By yesterday afternoon, the police said they had interviewed, but not yet charged, one of Koortzen’s employees, Aits Losper, who allegedly had been following the truck when it was stopped by the police.
The police said the horses, and five donkeys, were being transported to a farm leased by the Koortzen family.
The horses were illegally removed from a council plot that is the focus of an investigation into horse theft and animal cruelty.
The investigation was opened last week after two horses died, allegedly of thirst, in a locked kraal on the council plot, which is sublet to the Koortzens by a municipal employee, Nimrod Zwartz.
Over the weekend, a Berseba farmer identified at least nine of the horses as having been stolen from him.
The police say the remaining horses were illegally loaded onto a rented truck. The police were informed that they were being taken to a farm leased by the Koortzens
Investigators could not question Koortzen Junior yesterday, as he was visiting relatives in Upington, South Africa.
“But he will be questioned,” a senior police officer confirmed.
Koortzen earlier denied any knowledge of the horses.
Deputy Commissioner Chrispin Mubebo yesterday appealed to the public to help identify the legal owners of the horses, which are being kept at a safe place while the investigation continues.
Mubebo also warned that anyone attempting to interfere with the investigation in any way, or trying to intimidate potential witnesses, would be dealt with to the full extent of the law.
“We will take action immediately,” Mubebo warned.
Mubebo said several leads were being followed.
Leon Smith, who buys horses and resells them, told Namibian Sun yesterday that he had bought live horses from Koortzen on occasion.
He said the last time was a few months ago.
Smith confirmed that he had in turn sold these horses to an animal sanctuary where they are killed for carnivore feed.
Losper yesterday posted a lewd message, daring anyone to question him, in a comment on the Windhoek SPCA Facebook page.
He had also posted comments this week on the same page, all relating to the horse investigation.
Koortzen Junior was arrested last year along with two others, Jaco Hanekom and Cornelius de Bruyn, on charges of attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. They allegedly attacked and tortured a 14-year-old boy on the farm Rooikoppe, which was being leased by Koortzen Senior.
It was alleged that the boy was beaten, over several hours, with pipes and fists before he was strung up with a rope around his neck attached to a roof beam.
Namibian Sun was informed that the case was struck from the court roll earlier this year after the docket had vanished.
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